 The term "scout car" first entered widespread use in the 1930s as an official United States Army designation for any wheeled armored vehicle developed specifically for reconnaissance.Following the US entry into World War II, US officials clarified that the term would not extend to heavier wheeled reconnaissance vehicles fitted with turreted weapons, such as the M8 Greyhound.In this context, "scout car" meant a four-wheeled, often open-topped, armored car which was unarmed or only fitted with a light or general-purpose machine gun for self-defense.